548 ELEMENTARY PHYSIOLOGY less. 



to show that it is not really homogeneous, inasmuch as 

 minute points of less transparency are seen to be 

 scattered singly or in groups throughout the thickness of 

 the section. When the section is examined with the 

 microscope (Fig. 176) these jjoints prove to be nucleated 

 cells, the cartilage corpuscles, varying in shape, but 

 generally more or less spheroidal, sometimes far apart, 

 sometimes very near, or in groups in contact with one 

 another, in which last case the applied sides are flat. 

 Usually each cell has a single nucleus, but sometimes 

 there are two nuclei in a ceU. And sometimes globules 



Fio. 176. — HvALiNB Cartilaoe. a thin Section iiiculv Magnified. 



m, matrix ; a, group of two cartilage cells ; 6, a grovip of four cells ; 

 c, a cell ; n, nucleus. 



of fat appear in the protoplasmic bodies of the cells, and 

 may completely fill them. 



As a rule each cell lies in, and exactly fills, a cavity in 

 the transparent matrix, or intercellular substance, 

 which constitutes the chief mass of the tissue. But a 

 pair of closely opposed flattened cells may occupy only one 

 cavity, and all sorts of gradations may be found between 

 hemi-spheriodal cells in contact, and hemi-spheriodal cells 

 separated by a mere film of intercellular substance, and 

 widely separate spheroidal, ellipsoidal, or otherwise shaped 



